Canadiens beat Senators in overtime to take 3-0 series lead

Dale Weise's first goal of the playoffs sent the game to overtime. His second gave the Montreal Canadiens a commanding series lead.

Weise scored the tying goal with 5:47 left in the third period and won it 8:47 into overtime, leading the visiting Canadiens to a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators last night in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series. Montreal can complete a four-game sweep Wednesday night in Ottawa.

"I don't know if you can call me [clutch] yet," said Weise, who also had an overtime goal in the playoffs last year. "I thought I had some good chances early in the series and just couldn't put them in -- a couple of two-on-oness and hit posts. I don't know what it is. Just every game gets so intense, you're so focused."

Weise, who played 10 games for the Rangers during the 2010-11 season, skated in on the left side and beat Craig Anderson with a shot inside the near post. Many of the Senators fans in the stands urged officials to call for a hand pass by Brandon Prust on the play, but replays showed the puck went off the glass and not Prust. So the goal stood, and so did the Canadiens' big victory.

"Any time you score a winner like that, it's pretty special," Weise said. "I got pretty excited about that first one, too. That was a big goal. I just felt like we were pressuring and pressuring and we needed a good bounce like that to put the puck in the net. And thank goodness it was me."